Coolant level sensor plug/wire color???

[madmaxdvl]

Greetings, fellow Bimmer nuts!

I recently came into posession of my first BMW--a 1992 525i. Loved it from the first mile! That includes the miles after I discovered the radiator was toast (to be fair, there were no more miles since I figured that out until I had a chance to fix it).

Well, that day was today. Plunked in a new radiator, water pump, thermostat (what's with the paper gasket for the thermostat housing??? Bentley and AuthoHaus AZ didn't mention that!). Also put in a new coolant level sensor since the pervious owner said the current one was on the fritz (the coolant level warning was appearing on the dash but would go out after 10 miles of so).

Only problem: the coolant level sensor wasn't hooked up on the old radiator! If it was, the plug gave no resistance and then mysteriously disappeared in the engine bay. I did find two unhappily sut wires (judging from the muck on the ends, these were cut a while ago before I got the car).

Question: could these wires be for the coolant level sensor? They come from in front of the radiator on the left side of the car... one is orange, the other blue/red. If these are indeed the wires... how the heck do I get a plug to splice back into it?

If not... what does the plug look like? I found one plug that "y-split" off the headlight wires, but that looked like it should go to the foglights (which my car currently does not have--have to work on replacing those once I'm back on the road) since there was an identical one on the passenger side.

Any help is tremendously appreciated. I'd love to stop that infernal dinging when I start the car and see something other than "coolant level" staring me in the face every time I look at the dash!

Here's to the first of many happy and helpful discussions to come...

-Chad
Northern AZ

[Kalevera]

Chad, BMW parts sells the connectors separately, and they commonly shatter with time and heat exposure. You'll probably have to dig through ETK (or http://www.realoem.com) to find the part number for the exact connector, however.

I don't think I've seen a picture of the later connector on the web; if someone has it (Bill?), it'll definitely get posted.

best, whit

[shogun]

Here are wiring diagrams for 1992 E34
http://www.e38.org/e34/

[Akhil]

I think the best way to make sure that these 2 wires are for coolant level senser is, See if these 2 wires are joined togather, if they are and you are not getting "coolant level" warning when you turn the ingnition on, then go to those wires and disconnect them( open circute) and turn the ignition key on, now if you get "coolanet level" warning on dash, that mean they are coolent level senser wire.
Now about the connector, it looks similar to the connector in head light, you can find that connector in any junk yard.

Hope this might help. Good luck.

Akhil

[madmaxdvl]

Thanks for the responses so far... I'm sure with your help I'll be able to figure this out!

Shogun, I couldn't find the wiring diagrams on that page (maybe I'm not looking correctly? All I could find was a PDF for understanding European wriring diagrams...)

Lowell... thanks for the link! I was able to find "various plugs/terminals" but without knowing what I'm looking for, I can't figure out what part number is the right one. I may have to talk to my "local" BMW dealer... only problem is that they are 90+ miles away! I'll have to see if their parts dept. is open on Saturday for the next time I'm down in Phoenix.

If anyone has a pic of the connector, that would be perfect! I might try connnecting the two wayward wires together to "see what happens"... but I'm leary of doing so in case I might fry something (not like whatever it is is working now, but still...).

[madmaxdvl]

cschollum...

Thanks... those aren't the colors of the "mystery wires," so I'll look in the engine compartment to see if I can find a violet/brown wire. If not, I'll complete the circuit on the two "mystery wires" to see if those are the ones.

Thanks!

[madmaxdvl]

Thanks for all the help gents...

I was checking out the power steering leak today and noticed a plug stuffed in the sub-frame somewhere near the oil drail plug... what do you know, it's my "missing" coolant level sensor plug!!! No more "Coolant Level" message on the dash!

Now if only I can figure out what those cut wires are supposed to go to... outside temperature sensor? (I get the "-35 F" message on the OBC every time I start the car...). The pair is soild orange and blue/red... not knowing what they go to, I don't like the idea of just completing the circuit (ask me how I know that can blow gauges and sensors... go ahead, ask me... OK, please don't ask me... ;-> ).

[Javier]

either broken or disconnected. The wires comming to it are Blue/Red/Yellow, and Brown/Orange. May be you missed the brown and the Yellow!

Javier

[madmaxdvl]

Hmmm... the wires ARE extrememly dirty (grime and sludge). I'll see about picking up the right sensor and plug and splicing it in.

Thanks!

Now if I can just get a set of fog lights that won't cost me a fortune, I'll stop having error messages on my dash altogether... ;-)